Modern life and the Cleric's Tale have many similarities. The two topics contain women who are insecure and are not treated with the respect they deserve. The Cleric's Tale illustrates the theme that women do not stand up for themselves. Geoffrey Chaucer brings the character Griselda to the Cleric's tale to represent women. Griselda is a young, poor woman who is asked by a Marquis for her hand in marriage. She is very surprised by his question and says to him, "So I hereby swear that I will never willingly disobey you in act or thought, under threat of death, though I would be loath to die (Chaucer, 206). Throughout the story Griselda does everything her husband wants her to. He comes to her after she conceives her first child and tells her that she must have the child killed because it is a girl and he wants a young boy. She ultimately agrees to his wishes because he has asked her to do something. The King ends up sending the child to her aunt where she lives for her most of her life. Griselda conceives her second child and is told that it needs to be killed also. She again obeys her husband. The misanthropic King was bold enough to test his wife with topics of telling her he killed her son and daughter. When the King asked for Griselda's hand in marriage he finished by saying, "I also ask whether you are prepared to submit willingly to whatever I may desire, and to agree that I shall be at liberty to cause you delight or pain, as I think best, without your grumbling about it night or day (Chaucer, 206)?" As stated above, Griselda's response was to be subservient to his wishes. Throughout the entire marriage Marquis treats Griselda like a slave. He enjoys the way that she is willing to do everything he tells her to without complaining or questioning his motives. Griselda is even put out on the street by her own husband after he decides he doesn't want her anymore. His plan is to marry the child that he helped produce.
